|
Nature and Science August 2020
|
|
|
|
The Remarkable Life of the Skin: An Intimate Journey Across Our Largest Organ by Monty Lyman What it is: a dermatologist's cross-disciplinary "circumnavigation of, and love letter to" human skin.
You'll learn: what makes skin waterproof, how to achieve a healthy glow without risking a sunburn, why we can't tickle ourselves, and much more.
Reviewers say: "Tantalizing tidbits of information abound" (Booklist) in this "illuminating and thought-provoking" (Kirkus Reviews) book. | | The Language of Butterflies: How Thieves, Hoarders, Scientists, and Other Obsessives... by Wendy Williams What it's about: the past, present, and future of butterflies, and the role of human obsession in discovering their secrets.
Don't miss: the profile of pioneering 17th-century naturalist Maria Sibylla Merian, whose detailed illustrated studies of lepidopteran life cycles shaped the emerging field of entomology.
About the author: Wendy Williams' previous book was the bestselling The Horse: The Epic History of Our Noble Companion. | | Beyond Infinity: An Expedition to the Outer Limits of Mathematics by Eugenia Cheng What it is: an engaging exploration of the concept of infinity by the author of How to Bake Pi.
Want a taste? "Our lives are finite, our brains are finite, our world is finite, but still we get glimpses of infinity around us."
You might also like: Matt Parker's Things to Make and Do in the Fourth Dimension. | | Weird Math: A Teenage Genius & His Teacher Reveal the Strange Connections Between... by David Darling and Agnijo Banerjee What it's about: a science writer and his protégé, a teen prodigy, discuss their favorite mathematical concepts in a style that's accessible without being over-simplistic.
Topics include: the fourth dimension, topology, prime numbers, Turing machines, and infinity.
For fans of: Alex Bellos' Here's Looking at Euclid, Ian Stewart's Visions of Infinity, or Steven Strogatz's The Joy of X. | | Infinite Powers: How Calculus Reveals the Secrets of the Universe by Steven Strogatz What it is: an applied mathematician's surprisingly accessible guide to calculus, which outlines its basic concepts while recounting its history.
Food for thought: "If anything deserves to be called the secret of the universe, calculus is it."
You might also like: mathematician Amir Alexander's similarly engaging Infinitesimal, which also explores a world-changing concept. | | The Math of Life & Death: 7 Mathematical Principles that Shape Our Lives by Kit Yates What it's about: Applied mathematician Kit Yates examines seven mathematical principles (including exponential growth, probability, and algorithms) and demonstrates how these can be applied to areas such as law, medicine, the media, and more.
Don't miss: the rather timely chapter "Susceptible, Infective, Removed: How to Stop an Epidemic." | |
How Not to be Wrong: The Power of Mathematical Thinking
by
Jordan Ellenberg
What it is: The columnist for Slate's popular "Do the Math" celebrates the logical, illuminating nature of math in today's world.
Why you might like it: Ellenberg shares in accessible language mathematical approaches that demystify complex and everyday problems.
Reviewers say: "From discussing the difference between correlation and causation, to how companies use big data to predict your interests and preferences, Ellenberg finds the common-sense math at work in the everyday world, and his vivid examples and clear descriptions show how 'math is woven into the way we reason'" (Publishers Weekly, vol 261, issue 16).
|
|
Humble pi : when math goes wrong in the real world
by
Matt Parker
What it's about: This tour of real-world mathematical disasters reveals the importance of math in everyday life and how all sorts of seemingly innocuous mathematical mistakes can have significant consequences.
Why you might like it: Matt Parker uncovers the ways math trips us up by exploring and explaining a litany of glitches, near misses, and mathematical mishaps involving the internet, big data, elections, street signs, lotteries, the Roman Empire, and an Olympic team.
|
|
Contact your librarian for more great books!
|
|
|
|
|
|